Reprieve
by DarkHybridChild
Summary: Crackpairing, ARish a bit, some spoilers for Shippuuden. When a certain genius is at his wits end, who's the one that shows him how to simply exist again? Perhaps someone quite unexpected.


**Title:** Reprieve  
**Series:** Naruto: Shipuuden  
**Rating:** T/PG13  
**Genres:** Fluff, crack, slight-humor, and psuedo-angst, ARish.  
**Warnings:** Shounen-ai ahoy! And some swearing, crackpairing, and slight spoilers for the Shippuuden series, but it's mostly ARish.  
**Prompt:** Exist.

**DHC:** A drabble--or is it oneshot?--either way, something I wrote for my friend, Jamie for her birthday. It's her fault for getting me into the pairing and so now she must suffer through my horrible attempts to write the pairing. I love you, Jamie. Thanks for putting up with my retardedness, cracky-mind, and immaturity. Thanks for giving me laughs, drama, and all the other shit that goes on through our rps. Love from your Sasuke,

Mandi.

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Nara Shikamaru paced back and forth around the room he was in. His hands were rubbing at his temples and he was muttering quietly to himself. For all the brains and tactical advancements he possessed, he didn't have a clue on how to approach the new situation that arose. Even the most minor error could cost more lives than needed. People's lives laid in his hands, their fate rode with him and the decisions he had to make.

He hadn't noticed, his hands were trembling, his body shaking a little. His eyes glanced back to the board he'd set up, it showed the area of the land of Fire, and the mapped out, so called 'battleground' that would be their newest defense, if they could hold it. Konoha took the offensive and pushed farther towards the boarders to strengthen defense, as well as it would make it harder for the enemy to sneak up on them.

Even the Hokage herself was relying on him for much of his foresight and wisdom of battle tactics. But right now, he wasn't able to come up with a damn _thing._ So many people were depending on him to be level headed about this, and for the most part he was, but now he was having a moment of inner panic and it showed the way his hands shook as he crossed his arms and paced more vigorously. He wished silently he could go back to the days when he could be lazy, back when they were all still Genin.

But he was being foolish, he knew, but it didn't stop him from wanting it. And he couldn't just quit, Konoha needed him. Without his strategies, Konoha would suffer so many more casualties, and perhaps fall completely. But he hated feeling so _trapped_ and cornered. His mind raced, going over so many scenarios, none coming out satisfactory without heavy casualty. He couldn't afford, or risk lives like that. Death, of course, was something that came with their occupation, but the more lives he could spare to fight another day, perhaps, the better.

He heard the door open, but didn't even glance at it, continuing his pacing, a look of utter annoyance and frustration etched into his expression. The door closed softly, and light steps echoed in the silent room. A warm hand laid itself on Shikamaru's shoulder, stilling him. The hand was pale, delicate looking, fairly feminine. It was a familiar hand.

The shadow-user's body shifted a little, head turning, eyes glancing down to meet the ebon gaze of Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke's hand tugged, Shikamaru complying wordlessly, turning the rest of the way, facing him. "Why are you here?" Came the cracked, low voice. Shikamaru hardly recognized how much his voice had changed sometimes, all the smoking he'd done had changed it. Sasuke snorted at the question, his eyes rolling the briefest of moments before fixing back on the younger, but taller male. "Because you need me."

The shadow-user blinked, wasn't expecting the outright reply. Then again, the Uchiha was always blunt with his answers, he never sugared his words and never danced around a subject. The genius thought that was one of the better qualities the Sharingan-wielder possessed, though most would disagree with him. There was the barest twitch as his dry, cracked lips, hardly could be called a smile before sound filled the room as he laughed. It sounded like a wheeze, cough, and crackly. He had to laugh at the irony again, if only because it was the only thing he _could_ do.

Raven brows furrowed and the Uchiha prodigy's lips pursed for a moment, shaking his head slowly, hand slowly sliding away from Shikamaru's shoulder before falling away completely. "I didn't say it for you to laugh," He bit out, voice cold, the barest hints of hurt beneath it. The laugh died off slowly, Shikamaru's gaze softening a little before he shook his head and placed a hand on Sasuke's cheek, giving the smaller ninja a weak smile. "I wasn't laughing at your words. I was laughing because...you're blunt. To the point. It's one of your better qualities, yet others don't think so. The irony of it."

Sasuke's eyes closed, his head tilting into the hand on his cheek. a faint smirk rose to his face. "Hn," He grunted softly, eyes sliding open half-way, inky eyes holding mild amusement in them. "If you say so," He replied. Shikamaru didn't respond, sighing heavily and glanced back towards the desk again. He rubbed at his temple again before walking over to the desk to peer down at the map closely. The Uchiha's eyes watched slowly, before their body moved to follow, moving to stand beside him.

The shadow-user bit back a curse as he stared at the map. Nothing came to mind that would help. He was losing his touch. "Dammit," He growled, sighing again, reaching back into his pocket and draw out a cigarette and a lighter. Bringing the cigarette up to his lips, he flicked the lighter on, lighting it before putting the lighter away and taking a long drag from the stick.

Sasuke frowned, sighing quietly before reaching his hand up to snag the cigarette from the other's lips, taking a hit himself. The other glared for a minute, snatching the stick back when the Uchiha offered it back. "Dammit, Sasuke, I can't do this anymore..." The shadow-wielder muttered lowly, eyes never looking up from the map on the desk. "I can't think of anything. Every idea I come up with creates too many losses." The genius' voice sounded sullen, yet agitated. They brought their hand up to take another long inhalation from the cigarette.

The other nin turned, grabbing the cigarette away from the other again, taking a long hit from it before snubbing it out, earning a glare from the Nara heir. "Stop thinking," He said slowly, blowing the smoke out as he did. "Thinking about it too much is why you can't come up with anything. You're too attached to this." The other gave him a look, turning to lean on the desk. "It's not that simple..."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed into a glare. "Bullshit. Don't give me that, I know you too well to believe it."

Shikamaru glared back. "Well, what do you want me to say then?! So what if I'm attached? Without me, Konoha would take too many casualties!"

Sasuke moved, standing right infront of the shadow using ninja, glaring up defiantly at him. "To hell with Konoha!" He hissed lowly. "I've seen the way this has been wearing on you, I've watched how much you put yourself through. You're going to break, Shikamaru." He warned, his tone knowing. "Konoha can go to hell for all I care, but I will not allow you to kill yourself over this."

Shikamaru stayed silent, staring back down at the other before sighing heavily, looking at a loss for words. Nothing he said would sway the Uchiha's mind, he knew. It was a constant battle and stand-still between them when it came to this. He licked his chapped lips, relishing the sting from it. "Sasuke..." He tried slowly, bringing his hand up to rest on the back of the prodigy's neck.

"Stop thinking," The smaller ninja commanded softly, shifting closer to him. "Stop everything. Just breathe. Feel. Exist."

The fingers on the back of Sasuke's neck twitched, and Shikamaru sighed a little, eyes closing. He almost laughed again at the irony of the other's words. He'd heard them before. And they'd worked then, it was funny, in a not-funny way. He missed things being simple like that again. To just live day-to-day. He'd gotten so caught up in everything that he'd forgotten how.

Surprisingly it had been the Uchiha that showed him how to again. But with the war going on, he'd soon forgot again.

Sasuke pressed close, sliding his arms around the taller nin, drawing him into a hug, sighing weakly. "You moron..." He mumbled. His voice didn't sound harsh or cold. Just a little exasperated. Shikamaru laughed again, though it was more a chuckle that died down almost as soon as it started, hugging the older ninja. "Shut up, Uchiha. I'd like to see you be in my position."

Sasuke smirked a little, lifting his head to look up at him. "Hmm... Okay." He replied, sounding a little smug. "The first thing I would do if I were in your place...would be this," He leaned up, craning his neck a little and kissed him. Shikamaru blinked, making an amused sound, not expecting such a move from the other.

Pulling away from the kiss, the Uchiha pushed the genius down, so he was sitting on the desk behind him. "Next," They said, voice a low purr. "I'd do this..." His hand went back to pull the tie holding Shikamaru's hair up, letting the dark locks fall free, sliding his hand in to tangle up in them. "Then...this." He head lowered to plant several light kisses along the shadow-user's neck, stopping midway and nibbled at the skin.

Shikamaru's eyes closed again, head tilting back, fingers kneading the Sharingan-wielder's neck, other hand fisted in the material of the prodigy's shirt. Any coherent thought left his mind, leaving nothing but a feeling of freedom, a feeling of happiness. The stress wore away, the worry. Everything about the world was forgotten under Sasuke's ministrations.

Moving up, the smaller male kissed the shell of their ear, breathing lightly into his ear. "Stopped thinking?" He whispered.

Swallowing thickly, the Nara heir nodded.

"Good," Sasuke replied, a little smugly, drawing away from the other.

Shikamaru's eyes opened to glare at the other. Oh, hell no. The bastard wasn't going to get away with just being a damn tease. Standing up, everything forgotten, he pounced for the Uchiha, grabbing them and making a series of hand seals with one hand before they disappeared in a poof of smoke.

For the rest of that day, Shikamaru didn't think. He felt, he breathed, he lived. He existed once again. He existed with Sasuke. And that was all that mattered to him.

**-owari-**

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Hee-hee! It's dumbish, but it's as good as I can do... I'm still very new to writing the fandom fiction wise. But I do okay roleplaying, I guess. Anyway, feel free to praise, flame, worship, or scorn this fic. Any feedback is okay by me. :D


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